Describe the role of women ministry in the church of England

The Report of the House of Bishops’ Working Party on Women in the Episcopate of 2004 notes that women have been largely invisible through the course of the Church’s.^[1] This is attributed to the role of men as the sole authors of the Church’s history. Therefore only male perspectives were reflected.^[2] However, the fact that they were not recognised does not negate their part in the progression of the Church. Their roles were, in most cases, different from those played by men and mostly disregarded in the written history of the Church.^[3] Their most basic role in early times in relation to the Church was that of domestic discipleship. In this regard, they prayed, read their bibles, went to church, tended to their families and raised their children according to the ways and teachings of the Bible.^[4] Further, they played other roles within…

Provide the different schools of thoughts on the debate about women Bishops

Two schools of thought are evident from the discussion on women and their suitability to be made bishops. There are conservatives or traditionalists on one side and liberals on the other. Traditionalists are against the consecration of women as bishops while liberals see nothing wrong in having them serve in that capacity. Traditionalists rely on theological grounds hence base their opposition on church traditions and ceremonies, and a literal interpretation of biblical texts to justify their opposition. They argue that as the supreme authority, the bible must be adhered to the letter. While conceding that men and women have a spiritual likeness, they contend that the two sexes are designed to complement each other. Therefore, men and women should be restricted to particular roles in all spheres of the society. Consequently, an individual woman’s capacity, skills, edification, training, and interests should never be considered. According to them, power, and all its trappings, is a realm meant to be exclusively dominated by men. They oppose the appointment of women as priests because that would place them on an equal pedestal with men in terms of authority. The consecration of women as bishops further compounds the situation since it…

What are the arguments against consecration of Women Bishops

Proponents for the maintenance of the status quo fall into two main groups. These are Catholic Anglicans and Conservative Evangelical.[5]Both groups advance numerous reasons as justification for their position. Arguments advanced by both sides revolve around largely similar themes. These can be categorised into those that revolve around the authority of the Bible, tradition, ecumenical relations or culture, society and mission.[6]The Catholic Anglican perspective holds the view that, first, church traditions ought to be respected and maintained. They argue that it is unacceptable to alter the Church’s customs for the sole purpose of adjusting to the needs of present-day society.[7]…..

Identify and describe arguments supporting consecration of women bishops

Those in support of having women bishops first advocate for a new way of interacting with the scripture. They argue that the bible supports the ordination of women because its main teaching is the indispensable dignity, egalitarianism and complementarity of the entire human rave in the eyes of God.[8]According to them, Jesus challenged the notion of women being inferior in light of the way he involved them in his life and work.[9]An examination of various books of the New Testament reveals that women were greatly involved in the growth of the early church alongside men.[10]Galatians 3:28 is an apt summation of the status of women. Supporters of women bishops further fault the Conservative Evangelical argument of male headship as a misinterpretation of the bible. In any case, female subordination is no longer tenable in today’s society. They also argue that there is evidence of women’s involvement in ministry of the early church. For instance, Ute Eisen’s study in Women Officeholders in Early Christianity led to her conclusion that the first century saw women get deeply involved in the growth and modeling of the Church as in…

How does European Union Legislation affect women place in the Church of England?

European Union law may be used to challenge discrimination of women under the exceptions to the Equality Act 2010. Of relevance is the Directive on Equal Treatment.[11] Article 14 of the Directive is a prohibition against sex discrimination. The relevant provision prohibits direct or indirect discrimination in both public and private sectors based on sex. This prohibition relates to conditions for access to employment, self-employment or any relevant occupation and it applies to selection criteriarecruitment conditions in any activity. The Directive further obliges Member States to make provisions on the same such that…

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